Late October fest-dunkel or Marzen

[Tommydee]

Need a dark lager for October fest, and I'm pretty sure it's too late to make a drinkable Marzen that will be drinkable end of September. I think I'm going to make a dunkel, but might be too late for that too. I have a chamber and have successfully made a Heeles and Pils using the brulosophy fermentation schedules.


Ok to fire up Dunkel, maybe even a Schwarzbier? Agree no way to make a drinkable Marzen in 5 weeks? I have fermentation control and kegging capability if that matters.

This will be my first dark lager, any advice would be great.

 

[hottpeper13]

I made a Schwarzbier recipe and fermented it with a Kolsh yeast, and called it a Black Kolsch, it was outstanding. Wanted something like Black Bavarian from Sprecher. You have plenty of time for that. If you use 2565,2575 or 1007 my I suggest this fermentation schedule(it keeps the fruit flavor very low). Pitch at 55* raise to 59* and hold for 3 days raise to 64* hold for 3 days then I bring it into ambient temps ~68* for 2 weeks then secondary as cold as possible. I use gelatin a few days before kegging. At 32* lagering it should be ready to keg or bottle in 2 weeks.

 

[RedlegEd]

Need a dark lager for October fest, and I'm pretty sure it's too late to make a drinkable Marzen that will be drinkable end of September. I think I'm going to make a dunkel, but might be too late for that too. I have a chamber and have successfully made a Heeles and Pils using the brulosophy fermentation schedules.


Ok to fire up Dunkel, maybe even a Schwarzbier? Agree no way to make a drinkable Marzen in 5 weeks? I have fermentation control and kegging capability if that matters.
This will be my first dark lager, any advice would be great.

Hi. Actually, I think you're okay if you brew this weekend and get it going. The only thing you'll maybe miss out on is the extra smoothness from a few weeks more in lagering. If you're looking for an easy fest beer, may I recommend Biermuncher's Oktoberfast? He set up the recipe as an Ale, but I've made tweaked lager versions (using lager yeast,) and they've come out great. It's a lot more like Sam Adams' Oktoberfest, than an actual Oktoberfest like Spaten or Paulaner, but still very malty and good. Hope this helps and good luck on your first lager. Ed

 

[jmcquesten]

Hi. Actually, I think you're okay if you brew this weekend and get it going. The only thing you'll maybe miss out on is the extra smoothness from a few weeks more in lagering. If you're looking for an easy fest beer, may I recommend Biermuncher's Oktoberfast? He set up the recipe as an Ale, but I've made tweaked lager versions (using lager yeast,) and they've come out great. It's a lot more like Sam Adams' Oktoberfest, than an actual Oktoberfest like Spaten or Paulaner, but still very malty and good. Hope this helps and good luck on your first lager. Ed

Second this. I have 2 kegs of a lager version of it lagering now. I have made it as an ale and as a lager and it is great either way.